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3 Kids, 2 Dogs and 1 Old House

A Day In The Life Of The Alfino's

The Dark Days Are Over – It's Time To Get Serious

15 September 2014
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Two babies in a year (or a year and two weeks if you want to be exact).

Three babies in three years.

That was the life that we were thrust into.  I say thrust, but besides for momentarily forgetting how babies are made in the first 3 months following Kyla’s birth – we actually decided to do things this way.

Did deciding these things make living it any easier?  Hell no.

Those early years (especially the ones before Riya turned 18 months) were what I like to call the dark days.  It was rough at the best of times.  I was the most tired that I think I have ever been. Like ever.

But I mentioned the other day that those days are basically almost over.

For so long I used the hardness of those years to become my excuse for everything.

“No, I didn’t make supper today – it was just way too crazy.  What happened?  The usual, Kyla puked all over the bathroom while Riya drew all over the lounge with a crayon.  Let’s have egg on toast again.”  

“How am I supposed to know where your pants are?  Oh wait.  Flipping heck, I totally forgot to do washing for like, the last week.”

“Are you seriously asking me why the house is a mess when I haven’t been able to move for one second without a little person screaming to be picked up, or fed, or changed?”

“We don’t have money to do fix the hole in the floor, we need to buy nappies.”

I may have only slightly exaggerated some of those (but surprisingly not the last one).

Our house was neglected.  Our garden even more so.

When we moved, I vowed that I wouldn’t let our new house fall into our “we don’t have time, we’re too busy raising kids” mantra that had become my default.  But encouraging Seth to do anything on the house meant that he wasn’t spending time with us (and since spending time together is a huge love language of mine that’s a super no go), I never encouraged it.

Before I knew it, I’d half painted the front of the house and then left it like that – for 6 months.  Our garden had turned into a jungle, that I all too frequently lost the children in.

BUT

With every day getting easier (in the sense that I don’t have to do every little thing for them), we can spread our focus to raising our children, but also making sure that we don’t have massive holes in our floor for years.  Plus they don’t want us to be all up in their faces all the time anymore which is pretty awesome.

In the last couple of weeks, we have managed to paint our front door a bright blue, tame the jungle, weed most of the clover (or as I like to call it – the “asshole of the garden”), plant a few plants in a space that has been gathering debris instead and finally finished painting the front of the house.

While there are so many more things on my to do list to make the house more of what we want it to be, I feel like we are over the worst.

 

~~~~

One of the reasons I started blogging was to be able to look back and see how far we’ve come, so here’s a look back at posts that I did on this day in the last few years…

2012 – We went for a walk in the park.  It feels like yesterday, but it was 2 years ago!  Can’t get over those chubby cheeks!

2011 – Aaah, I love these kinds of posts.  It reminds me how far I’ve come in my blogging journey – not blogging just to get something out but actually to have something worthwhile to say.

2010 – Two posts in one day (what was I thinking?!)!  Kyla starting to stand all on her own and Riya’s first (Elvis inspired) smile.

The Dark Days Are Over – It's Time To Get Serious was last modified: September 15th, 2014 by Cindy
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16 comments

laurakim 15 September 2014 at 8:20 AM

I know this feeling SO well. Our house is falling apart – really its held together by hope and a prayer. But slowly now I am starting to sort the little things. A house is like another child in many ways!

Reply
Wendy Johannes 15 September 2014 at 9:00 AM

Take pics so we can see how the progress is coming along! That way you will also be motivated to do more! LOVE your blog so much!!!

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Caley Rosenberg 15 September 2014 at 9:09 AM

Well done on starting on the great list – ticking things off slowly but surely is a great feeling and a huge achievement – and all while being super parents! x

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Chereen Strydom 15 September 2014 at 10:22 AM

EEK. I’ve been battling with worries about throwing a second baby into the mix a lot lately – I’d love to have a little sibling for Bean, but considering the fact that I FINALLY feel like life is more manageable and I’ve achieved a bit of balance MOST days, the thought of starting all over again terrifies me! I can’t even imagine what it must be like to have three babies in THREE years! You amaze me – well done, mama. Standing ovation from my side! x

Reply
carafayglaser 15 September 2014 at 12:13 PM

So cute! Everything always falls into place and perspective at just the most perfect time. xx

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Heather 15 September 2014 at 1:15 PM

As soon as the sleep comes right I will feel like I am out of the dark days. Seriously. I need sleep. But I’m glad there is light for you 😉

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Salomé 15 September 2014 at 2:34 PM

Glad your to do’s are getting done.
When I find myself not coping or getting things done, I (try to) lower my standards.
If I lower my standards cause I’m so dead tired and slept with little feet kicking me in the face (again and again), it’s perfectly acceptable to have egg on toast for supper 🙂

Reply
annie21livinginusa 15 September 2014 at 10:24 PM

I bet you have the cutest kids on the block…….love that photo of them all together…..and whose boots is Knox wearing?

Reply
Cindy 15 September 2014 at 10:34 PM

Thanks Annie! I think they’re the cutest but I might be biased 😉 he’s wearing one of each of the girls (Kyla has the pink and Ri has the purple) ?

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Tattooed Girl 16 September 2014 at 8:44 AM

What a wonderful family you have! Thanks for sharing! I love all your posts! 🙂

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Fatima Phillips-Driver 16 September 2014 at 9:12 AM

Hahaha was also wondering about the boots! So bloody cute. I’m stuck in the dark days at the moment, and I feel like I could cry while sitting here at my desk just knowing that someone else knows what I’m going through and that this too shall pass. While I do not want time to wish the time away and rush on by so that I can enjoy my babies, I am certainly looking forward to the sunshine and rainbows!

Reply
Robyn 16 September 2014 at 12:01 PM

Oh yes, I know what you’re talking about!

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We’re Feeling Blue | 3 Kids, 2 Dogs, 1 Old House 22 September 2014 at 7:17 AM

[…] remember how I was so stoked to finally be clawing our way out of the “dark days” that involved all kinds of baby and toddler survival?  I thought I would share my favourite little DIY’s that I’ve […]

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It’s Too Calm Around Here – Time For Another Baby | 3 Kids, 2 Dogs, 1 Old House 24 September 2014 at 7:05 AM

[…] that aside, things are pretty cool around here.  I spoke about it before, so I won’t rehash it […]

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italycanwait 25 September 2014 at 3:35 PM

What a beautiful bunch of babies!
I am struggling with one on my arm… My hat off to you!

Reply
Are We OK Saying Goodbye To Our Kids Innocence? - 3 Kids, 2 Dogs and 1 Old House 2 June 2017 at 12:48 PM

[…] there were days in “The Dark Days” of our lives that I am sure the TV never even got switched off.  The Dark Days I’m referring […]

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After living a very normal suburban life we packed up everything to live in a VW van for a year as a family of 5. Now that we have traveled our beautiful country we are back to normal but trying to remember what it was like to live with less, spend time in nature and build on our family bonds. Join us on the journey.

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